Running Allies

1. 01 The Ottoman
2. 02 The Empire
3. 03 War on the Empire
4. 04 Limits
5. 05 Minor powers
6. 06 Activating a minor

With four of us, nobody plays the Ottoman or the Holy Roman Empire (the Empire, from here on); whoever wins one over runs it as an ally. Video: The Sleeping Giants. The Ottoman starts as England's ally, with its own hand and its own impulse, first in every round. Rule SB p.11, 3.2

Scoring off the VP Baseline. An ally never scores for itself. At the end of each turn, compare its VP with its VP Baseline marker: Rule SB p.13

• 2 or more spaces above: its controller gains 1 VP for every 2 full spaces, and the baseline moves up 2 for each VP.
• 2 or more spaces below: its controller loses 1 VP for every 2 full spaces, and the baseline moves down 2 for each VP.
• Example: baseline 11, Ottoman 14. One full pair, so England gains 1 VP and the baseline moves to 13.

Our table's ruling: the baseline starts on 11. The rulebooks don't cover an ally that's active at setup, so we put the Ottoman VP Baseline on 11 (its starting VP) and an Ally of Major Power marker in the England/Ottoman box, and skip the other activation steps. Rule SB p.12, SB p.13

One player, two powers. England and the Ottoman can never declare war on each other, pirate each other, or give each other card draws or mercenaries. They can ally and loan naval squadrons. Rule SB p.11

The Sublime Porte check. This Mandatory Event card sets off a check for who controls the Ottoman. England, France and the Protestant can win it over; Spain can only knock it back to sleep. Spain starts with 1 influence, the others 0. Rule Card #37, SB p.12

• England wins: nothing changes.
• Spain wins: the Ottoman goes to sleep (see Limits below).
• France or the Protestant wins: the Ottoman first goes to sleep, exactly as if Spain had won (England is paid on the baseline one last time, the hand is discarded). Then it wakes as the winner's ally with a new baseline and a fresh hand. Rule 24.6, SB pp.12-13

The Empire starts asleep: no hand, no impulse. A check for who controls it comes from German Intervention (Mandatory), Rudolf II (Mandatory, from Turn 3), or a declaration of war on it while it sleeps. Rule Card #4, Card #87, SB p.12

The check. Spain, England, France and the Protestant (1 influence each at the start) roll to win it over; the Ottoman (3 influence, England rolls for it) rolls to keep it asleep. Each rolls one die and adds its influence, even if that's 0. Highest wins; a tie goes to whoever is first in Impulse Order (the order of turns). A power can only be checked once a turn. Rule 24.6, Diplomatic Influence aid, SB pp.11-12

When you win it, in order: Rule SB p.12

1. Its VP Baseline goes on its current VP (8 at the start), and an Ally of Major Power marker goes in your box with it.
2. If a declaration of war set off the check, your own power may join that war against the declarer.
3. The Empire may declare war on one major power that isn't your ally.
4. Its influence track goes to Resolved This Turn; its own markers on minor powers go to their default boxes.
5. It's dealt a hand: the smallest of its normal deal (4 cards at the start), the hand of a power it just declared war on, and the biggest hand at the table.

What you get: a second hand and impulse, its generals and armies, its mercenaries to sell in deals, influence with the Papacy, Venice and Ireland, and the deals for its royals. Rule SB pp.12-13, 20.6, 9.1

Entering the Empire's spaces needs a war, and declaring war on it while it sleeps sets off a check at once. The declarer and the Ottoman sit it out, so the Empire normally wakes before any fighting (see the rare case below). Rule 13.1, SB p.12

Rule Diplomatic Status chart, SB p.12

Suggested house ruling (to agree at the table): England sits out when the Ottoman declares. Otherwise England could win, and its Empire would be at war with its own Ottoman, which one player's two powers may never be. Rule SB p.11, SB p.12

Our table's ruling for the rare case. If the Empire was already checked this turn and stayed asleep, a later war on it gets no new check. It then fights like a sleeping minor: it doesn't move; 4 or fewer units withdraw into the fortifications; 5 or more fight a field battle, and if they lose, up to 4 go inside and the rest are eliminated. Rule 24.6, 24.1

While the Ottoman or the Empire is someone's ally: Rule SB pp.11-13, 10

• no Patronize Artist or Scientist, no Build Expedition, no espionage, and nobody can assassinate its leaders
• no Home cards, and it can't win: its last square control marker goes down as a hex one
• it still makes deals, declares war and buys influence

Going to sleep (another power wins it, or the Ottoman wins the Empire's check): Rule SB p.13

• the old ally is paid on the baseline one last time, then the baseline comes off
• its cards and treasures are discarded
• its wars and alliances end; its units go home as in Winter
• its influence markers are set aside or marked Resolved This Turn
• if the Empire goes to sleep, any Papacy, Venice or Ireland allied to it goes to sleep too

A minor's check works the same way: a winner on its Activate line gets it as an ally, a winner on its Deactivate line knocks it back to sleep. Rule 24.6

Influence costs 1 CP a step, only on tracks that show your flag, never past 9, and not after that track was checked this turn. It stays from turn to turn until a check. In the Winter after a check, the markers go back to their default boxes on the aid, or to 0 if there's no box (so after a check on the Empire, England, France and the Protestant drop to 0). Rule 24.5, 20.9

Rule Diplomatic Influence aid, SB p.7

At the start Spain is allied with the Papacy and France with Scotland; the rest are asleep. Portugal joins in after the Death of King Sebastian card. Rule SB p.7, 9.4

Declaring war on a minor is only possible where the Diplomatic Status chart shows a cost: Venice (Ottoman), Ireland (England), Portugal (Ottoman, Spain, France). It sets off a check you sit out, and you lose your influence with that minor for good. Rule 9.4, Diplomatic Status chart

When a minor becomes your ally: Rule 24.2, 24.3

• Its units are yours to use, with no impulse or cards of their own.
• Its keys take your square control markers, so they count as your keys for cards and VP; its other spaces take hex markers. Rule 24.2, 25.2
• Its wars end, and a power that was at war with it may declare war on you for free.
• Ireland arrives as 3 Irish units and a fortress in Ulster, and you may declare war for free on whoever holds Dublin (Spain on England only if that war costs 3 CP or less).

Losing it: if someone else wins its check, your control markers come off and its units go home. Rule 24.4